How severe is CVE-2021-43577?

CVE-2021-43577 has a CVSS score of 7.1/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2021-43577?

CVE-2021-43577 affects the following packages: org.jenkins-ci.plugins:dependency-check-jenkins-plugin (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2021-43577?

Update org.jenkins-ci.plugins:dependency-check-jenkins-plugin to 5.1.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2021-43577 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2021-43577 in my Maven dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.jenkins-ci.plugins:dependency-check-jenkins-plugin, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2021-43577 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Restrict outbound requests from the affected component to an allowlist of hosts, block access to link-local and internal address ranges at the network layer, and require authentication on internal services so a forged request cannot reach them unauthenticated.

Is CVE-2021-43577 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2021-43577 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2021-43577?

CVE-2021-43577 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 1.0%, placing it in the 63th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2021-43577?

CVE-2021-43577 is classified as XML External Entity (XXE) (CWE-611). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2021-43577 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2021-43577 was published on November 12, 2021 and was last updated on October 24, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

☕

☕ Maven

Not in CISA KEV

HIGH severity

CVE-2021-43577 — dependency-check-jenkins-…

HIGHFix: jenkinsci/dependency-check-plugin@c10d149

CVE-2021-43577 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.1) XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in org.jenkins-ci.plugins:dependency-check-jenkins-plugin. A fix is available for org.jenkins-ci.plugins:dependency-check-jenkins-plugin — see the affected versions and patch details below.

XXE vulnerability in Jenkins OWASP Dependency-Check Plugin

Also known asGHSA-mj5v-ggjc-48p5

Published

Nov 12, 2021

Updated

Oct 24, 2026

Affected

1 pkg

Patched

1 / 1

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Oct 30, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

1.0%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs63th percentile — riskier than 63% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

How urgent is this, really

Where this sits among everything scored

Real-World Exposure

1 pkg affected

☕org.jenkins-ci.plugins:dependency-check-jenkins-plugin

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

Jenkins OWASP Dependency-Check Plugin 5.1.1 and earlier does not configure its XML parser to prevent XML external entity (XXE) attacks.

This allows attackers able to control workspace contents to have Jenkins parse a crafted XML file that uses external entities for extraction of secrets from the Jenkins controller or server-side request forgery.

Affected Packages

1 total 1 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.jenkins-ci.plugins:dependency-check-jenkins-plugin`	all versions	5.1.2`org.jenkins-ci.plugins:dependency-check-jenkins-plugin:5.1.2`

Affected Products

1 product · 1 configurations

Application

owasp dependency-checkjenkins

≤ 5.1.1

range

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.jenkins-ci.plugins:dependency-check-jenkins-plugin, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.jenkins-ci.plugins:dependency-check-jenkins-plugin to 5.1.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2021-43577 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Restrict outbound requests from the affected component to an allowlist of hosts, block access to link-local and internal address ranges at the network layer, and require authentication on internal services so a forged request cannot reach them unauthenticated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Jenkins OWASP Dependency-Check Plugin 5.1.1 and earlier does not configure its XML parser to prevent XML external entity (XXE) attacks. This allows attackers able to control workspace contents to have Jenkins parse a crafted XML file that uses external entities for extraction of secrets from the Jenkins controller or server-side request forgery.

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2021-43577 in your dependencies?

Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works

CVSS Score

7.1/10CVSS v3 base

Vector breakdown

Attack Vector

Network

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

Low

Availability

None

Raw vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N

CWE Classification

CWE-611XML External Entity (XXE)

Weaponization

No Nuclei template, Metasploit module or public proof-of-concept found.

Timeline

Disclosed

Nov 12, 2021

Last updated

Oct 24, 2026

Identifiers

CVE-2021-43577

GHSA-mj5v-ggjc-48p5

References

Advisoryopenwall.com Advisoryjenkins.io · 2021 11 12 Advisorynvd.nist.gov · CVE 2021 43577 Webgithub.com · c10d1496f9f0301e276daecea88161a905fca6d4 Packagegithub.com · dependency check plugin

Related vulnerabilities

Also affects dependency-check-jenkins-plugin

This CVE is high severity — higher than any of the other 2 CVEs affecting dependency-check-jenkins-plugin (highest there: moderate).

CVE-2024-28153CVE-2017-1000109

Same weakness: CWE-611

This CVE is high severity; 6 of 6 other CVEs with CWE-611 are rated as high or higher (top: critical).

CVE-2026-108358CVE-2026-108357CVE-2026-61586CVE-2026-61741CVE-2026-61570CVE-2026-55848Browse all CWE-611

Provenance

Sources

OSV.devNVDFIRST.org (EPSS)

Last verifiedOct 24, 2026